Art Wortd Coop

The term "2.5D" is a very appropriate description for the papercraft figures that are often created for miniature gaming. They are more than just flat 2D paper figures, but something less than a full blown 3D paper model. This red dragon paper model is one of the better examples to be found of the art of 2.5D modeling. Created by ONE-MONK, the PDF template for the dragon may be downloaded here.

Here is another great papercraft from the world of miniature gaming: a High Elf tower. There are several nice things about this tower model. First, the roof is removable. Next, it is constructed so that the interior has as much color and detail as the outside of the tower. Finally, the window shutters can actually be opened and closed. A free download of the template for the tower is offered by One Monk Miniatures here. There are also some nice 2.5D Elven Alliance military figure flats on the same page.

In the Heroscape miniatures board game by Hasbro, players may roll as many as 12 dice at a time to determine the outcome of a battle. To keep the numerous dice corralled between rolls, Heroscape enthusiast "AliasQTip" created this unique papercraft dice bowl. The images inside the bowl are meant to resemble a dungeon, while the outside resembles castle walls emblazoned with crests from the Heroscape game. A PDF template of the dice bowl is available at the Heroscapers.com website here. (In a previous post of mine here, you will find a Heroscape dice tower which matches the bowl)

This papercraft dragon was designed by Jordan Peacock, the same designer who brought us the Alice in Wonderland Chess Set. This type of model is what Jordan calls "figure flats" which are simple fold-over paper models meant to serve in the place of the more expensive painted miniatures used in role playing games. In other places I have seen papercraft of this kind referred to as a "2 1/2 D" model, which I think is a good way to describe a 3D paper construction that is built of mostly flat pieces. A PDF template containing five different colored dragons and may be downloaded here, just click on the image near the bottom of the page to the left of the heading that reads: "MORE Sundered Skies Free Figure Flats: Dragon Models".

Sersa V over at the "SaveVersusDeath" Dungeons and Dragons blog created these Egyptian obelisk paper models for use as props with D&D miniature gaming figures. Officially titled "Obelisks of the Sun Kingdom", these monuments are easy one piece builds. I don't play Dungeons and Dragons so the best I could do for characters in the photo was to throw in some of my D&D version Heroscape figures. The template for the obelisks may be downloaded here.

This papercraft armored truck is intended to be used in superhero miniature gaming scenarios (The supervillians need something to rob, don't they? ^^) The scale of the truck is roughly 1:48 (or O Scale or 32mm, depending on which scale notation you choose), so it is the right size for both the Heroclix and Marvel Heroscape gaming systems. The template comes with optional opening doors for the rear of the truck and may be downloaded at the Heroscapers.com forum here.

This castle is a fan modification of a 3D papercraft creation by Fat Dragon Games, a company that produces finely detailed paper buildings and props for miniature games such as Heroclix. The castle is built from modular papercraft units that are stacked on top of each other. The octagonal tower parts come in a free multi-layered, customizable PDF file. The remaining rectangular parts of the castle are available for purchase from Fat Dragon. To download the octagonal tower PDF go here and click on the link labeled "Afet's Tower".

This nicely done Stargate papercraft was designed to be used with the Stargate SG-1 role playing game. The RPG game, as you might guess, is based on the Stargate movie and television series. The template for this gateway was created by Sean Lambert in 2003 and may be downloaded here.

This robot papercraft is a little different than most you will see in that it is built almost entirely from flat pieces, but surprisingly it still achieves a good 3D effect. The name of the robot is "Mr. Rippy" . His job is that of an assassin. Mr. Rippy was designed by "Nobody", comes in three colors, and was intended to be used in miniature gaming. A download of the template is available here.

This papercraft torii was created for use as a prop in samurai related miniature gaming, but I think it is a nice model in and of itself. A torii is a symbolic gateway that indicates the division between sacred and profane space. In Japan, torii similar to this one are typically seen at the entrances of both Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. This papercraft was created in 2004 by Paul Lesack. A download of the template for the torii can be found near the bottom of the page here.

These hover tank paper models were intended to be used with science fiction themed tabletop wargaming, but I think they are they are kinda cute in and of themselves. Since the scale of the models is 15mm (1:120), the template for one tank is small enough to fit on a single sheet of paper. Each of these tanks was designed by UK miniature gamer Jermey Claridge and may be download from his website here. There are three other tank models available in addition to the three pictured above. Also, each of the tanks may be built with either a plain metal, desert camo, or woodland camo color scheme.

Well, it's not Cthulhu, but it comes close. Dubbed the "Elder Things" by the Antarctic explorers who found them in H. P. Lovecraft's novella At the Mountains of Madness, these creatures were thought by the explorers to be extraterrestrials who colonized Earth one billion years ago. This papercraft Elder Thing was created by UK artist Wayne Peters for use in 28mm scale role-playing games. The PDF template is located here. [via Propnomicon]

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This Harry Potter paper toy doesn't look very happy. Then again, if I was an orphan and a dark wizard tried to kill me every year, I suppose I might not be very happy either. This papercraft Harry was created by Gavin Schmidtt at robotmartini.com using the blank "Briki" template. Briki paper figures were developed to be used in an open source multi-player tabletop combat game known as "Arena". To get the above paper toy and Arena game rules, go here.

I enjoy nicely detailed architecture papercraft. I am not sure why I don't post more of it, especially since I am an architect by trade. I will have to do better in the future.^^ This papercraft saloon is a free sample from Whitewash City which produces scale model building templates for use in Old West tabletop RPG games. All the models at Whitewash City were designed by Eric Hotz and are 30mm scale (also known as "S scale" or 1:64 scale). The PDF template for the saloon may be downloaded here.

This 2" (5 cm) long Scooby Doo Mystery Machine van and ruined castle wall backdrop were created by Gary Williams and Craig Griswold in 2002 for use with the D6 Role-Playing Game System by West End Games. Included in the same PDF template as the van and the wall are cutouts of all the Scooby Doo characters. The PDF may be downloaded here. Also available are templates of an uncolored haunted bungalow model and a 3D interior of Doctor Who's TARDIS.

When comic artist Matt Brooker couldn't find an appropriate backdrop for photographing his collection of miniature Doctor Who Dalek toys, he created this modular Sci Fi corridor system out of cardstock. The possibilities of Brooker's system are endless. The corridors might be used as a background for photographing Sci Fi papercraft or to create a papercraft diorama. The system might also be used for miniature gaming. What appear to be light fixtures on the ceiling of the corridor are actually nothing more than holes that allow outside light to enter. To learn more about Booker's system visit his blog here. PDF templates of the various components of the corridor system may be downloaded here.

Many miniature gaming fans are turning to papercraft as a way to enhance their game play. These are two fan produced papercraft props for the Star Wars Miniatures game produced by Wizards of the Coast. The turret and cannon orginally appeared in the 1980 movie, The Empire Strikes Back. The templates for these pieces are available for download with registration at www.swminiatures.com and were designed by Eli Kurtz, Germany, 2005.

This past Halloween I pieced together a tabletop graveyard decoration from several free paper models available on the internet. The miniature ghost, zombie and werewolf figures in the graveyard are from a customizable game called Heroscape. The scale of the graveyard is roughly 1:58 (28mm) with the finished scene being about 8" (20cm) by 10" (25cm) and 5 1/2" (13cm) tall. Models included in the scene are:

• Wall, gate, & graves by Wizards of the Coast, USA, 2003.
  Models are here.
  
  
• Mausoleum & ground texture by Oidessy Paper Models, Italy, 2003.
  Models are here.
  
  
• Tomb by Stones Edges, USA, 2004.
  Model is here.